When it comes to climbing outdoors there are several different options you can take. You can choose to enjoy bouldering or you can go for something that requires a little more skill like free solo climbing or ice climbing. Understanding the different types of climbing activities out there can help you to find which one really fits your niche and gives you a sport that you can really enjoy. Before you just go out and start climbing it is important to take professional lessons and to really perfect your skills. Here are some of the different types of climbing:

Conventional rock climbing – this is where you have a nice rope, harness, and you often scale up a large rock face with the assistance of other climbers and having a person to belay and to provide you with safety. This is a great way to climb and it is a lot of fun. Most people will learn how to start climbing this way indoors before they move onto outdoor climbing where it gets to be a bit tricky. Sport rock climbing also falls under this category as you have people that leave certain gear attached to the rock so you do not need to bring it with you.

Bouldering – many people enjoy bouldering when they are out hiking and enjoying the wilderness. Bouldering us where you will find very large boulders and you will climb up about 10 feet on the boulder. Usually you will not have any protective gear except a mat if you fall.

Ice climbing – this is also very popular but it tends to be very dangerous if you don’t take proper safety precautions. You need to use special equipment and climb up frozen waterfalls and glaciers. It helps to climb with a team of experts to ensure you will be safe and protected.

Boulderingis a popular extreme sport wherein, as the term suggests, boulderers climb boulders or chunks of rocks. This type of sport calls for high level of power and strength as well as complex climbing style or technique.

Such type of sport requires different equipment necessary for the boulderers to climb safely and successfully. One of which is a pair of climbing shoesthat will provide the boulderer’s feet with enough grip and protection. A loose chalk powder is another tool needed to keep the hands dry while climbing. Brushes with different sizes are also necessary as they are used for cleaning holes to which the boulderers can hold on. Getting cuts, blisters, and sprained joints are also inevitable so sports tape should always be included in the kit. Comfortable and weather-appropriate clothing is another important requirement.

Bouldering is relatively harder than the traditional wall climbing because it involves more complicated rock patterns and requires greater endurance and swifter moves.

To protect boulderers from the impact of falling to ground, they put on crash pads known as boulder mats to avoid incurring more serious injuries. Normally, boulderers take a 3- to 5-meter climb. However, there are some who go free soloing wherein boulderers take on highball bouldering problem, which entails more than 7 meters of climbing. Gym-trained boulderers are usually the ones who take on such greater challenge.

Pierre Allain introduced and developed this sport in France in the 1930s. John Hill, on the other hand, pioneered the sport in the United States in the 1950s.

If you are interested in this kind of sport, you may check out some indoor climbing gyms near you. You may also bring your kids and get them a head start in developing their climbing skills. Just make sure you and your kids are fully geared and well-equipped to avoid injuries and accidents.